DIENE SAGNA
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Diene Sagna  (born in  Dakar, Senegal), is a  West African  dancer, teacher, choreographer, percussionist, singer and Artistic Director for  Yaye Dib Dance.
Known worldwide as  Diene 'Waaw Waaw' Sagna, he is based between the UK, Germany and Senegal.
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Diene is a highly skilled  West African dance artist who trained at the prestigious Centre Culturel Régional Blaise Senghor  as well as with a number of Ballet groups in Senegal; Forêt Sacrée du Sénégal, Daradji, Davidson Boys, and under the guidance of his eldest brother, Mbaye Ndiaye; choreographer and principal dancer for Le Ballet National du Senegal.
Diene has worked in 40 countries across 5 continents, including the USA, Brazil, Dubai, UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Hungary, Romania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Mali, Gambia, Guinea Bisau, Guinea Conakry, Qatar, Benin, Republic of Congo, and Mauritania.
Diene regularly travels to teach, choreograph and perform. His aim is to educate, share and promote West African arts and culture, with communities and professionals. He does this through classes and workshops, performances, working in schools, as well as organising social and cultural events. This includes his annual training holiday 'Aksilen' to his hometown of Dakar, Senegal as well as the annual African drum and dance event 'JUMPforJOY AFRICA' held in London, UK since 2011, ever since 2019 in Germany.
As a dance artist, Diene has worked with some of West Africa's greatest artists, including  Youssou N'Dour,  Baaba Maal,  Salif Keita, Coumba Gawlo, Mory Kanté,  Angélique Kidjo  and  Georges Momboye.
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Diene's dance company, 'Yaye Dib Dance', named after his late mother, who was also a dancer, are developing new and exciting choreographies with a mix of both traditional and contemporary dance styles and storytelling. The company has been described as 'truly professional' and 'inspiring'.
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Career highlights to date:
-Performed and taught at the Siente African Festival in Valencia, Spain 2022
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-Performance with Baaba Maal at the Royal Festival Hall in London 2022
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-Created the Yaye Dib Dance Association in December 2021
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- Taught and performed at the Brasil Samba Congress in 2019
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- Establishment of the YouTube channel 'Yaye Dib TV' in 2019
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- WOMAD and The Malmesbury Schools Project with Kafou Music Project - July 2018
– Zulu dancer in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (biographical film about the British rock band Queen) – due for release in autumn 2018
- Dance and drumming performance on LRT TV’s ‘Labas Rytas, Lietuva’ programme, Lithuania – 2018
- Organising 'Aksilen', Yaye Dib Dance’s annual dance training holiday in Dakar, Senegal – 2011 to 2018
- Organising 'JUMPforJOY AFRICA’, Yaye Dib Dance’s annual African dance weekend event
- Interview on Sky TVs Arise TV channel for ‘This Day Live’ programme, promoting Sabar and Yaye Dib Dance in the UK - 2014
- Sabar and Mbalax performance for ‘A Brief History of African Dance’ with Funmi Adewole for the ‘Africa Utopia’ Festival, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London, UK - 2014
- Dancing for Fuse ODG's music video, London, UK - 2014
- Choreographer for Juneteenth, Ohio, USA - 2014
- Performance at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London for the 'Baaba Maal and Friends' show, including Mory Kanté, Angelique Kidjo and Carlou D for the Africa Utopia Festival, as choreographed by Georges Momboye - 2012
- Performance at Stade de France, Paris, as a dancer for Coumba Gawlo Seck - 2011
- Performance and workshops for WOMAD Festival, UK - 2010 to 2012
- Representing Africa for the World Music and Dance GITEX 2008 Etisalat at the World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE - 2008
- Dancing and working with Youssou N’dour in Senegal for his music video ‘4444’ - 2004
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